Kutznetsova and Konta script history by entering last eight.
Svetlana Kuznetsova prevailed in one of the most established "fixtures" in women's tennis as she beat Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska 6-2 6-4 to reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals on Monday for the first time in 10 years.
The Russian, seeded seventh, has found Radwanska an agreeable opponent over the past decade and did so again to beat her for the 14th time in 18 matches and set up a clash with former runner-up Garbine Muguruza. Kuznetsova, 32, is in the quarter-finals for the fourth time and is yet to drop a set so far in this year's championships, spending less than five hours on court so far. Yet despite her pedigree as a former U.S. Open and French Open champion, few are discussing the prospect of her holding aloft the Venus Rosewater Dish on Saturday. Not that she cares a jot. "I think I have an amazing respect from the players, they know they have to play their best to beat me," Kuznetsova told reporters. "Of course I think I should get more from the fans and from the press. Not many things in life are fair.
"I've been out here awhile, and since I was a kid they told me I'm never going to be anywhere near the top," she said. "I'm used to it. The important thing is to understand that opinions don't matter. It actually helps me. I felt better here, more free. If people don't believe in me that's their choice." She will definitely emerge from beneath the radar now though, having roared through the draw - helped by her three opponents before Radwanska having an average ranking of 139. Kuznetsova was required to up her game against tricky ninth seed Radwanska and she did so, striking 37 winners to her opponent's 13 in a commanding display. Former runner-up Radwanska was always playing catch-up after going 4-0 down on a sun-drenched Court Three.
She did a good job of staying with the Russian in a second set full of long rallies that lasted nearly an hour. The Pole fought off four break points at 1-1 but Kuznetsova, one of six grand slam champions to reach the last 16 and the second-oldest woman left standing, kept pushing and got the break at 3-3 when Radwanska fired a backhand wide. Kuznetsova wobbled as she served for victory at 5-4 but battled back from 15-40 down and nailed a backhand winner on match point to move through to the quarter-final. Her previous three Wimbledon quarter-finals all ended in defeat - against Justine Henin in 2003, Lindsay Davenport in 2005 and Venus Williams in 2007.
Konta becomes first British woman into last eight since 1984
Johanna Konta became the first British woman to reach the Wimbledon quarter-finals since Jo Durie in 1984 when she outlasted Caroline Garcia of France 7-6(3) 4-6 6-4 in an evenly-matched baseline battle on Monday. Konta had previously won only one match in five Wimbledon appearances. But after racking up her fourth in this tournament, she now finds herself facing Romanian second seed Simona Halep and, with the woman's draw looking wide open, has an outside chance of becoming the first home champion since Virginia Wade 40 years ago.
The sixth seed, who spent her formative years in Australia before moving to play in Spain as a 14-year-old and then becoming British in 2012, put on an efficient display, albeit with a big wobble in the middle, to overcome a tenacious foe. Konta was always on top in the first set despite having to take it via a tie break, when one amazing reaction forehand return to a Garcia smash had the sun-baked Number One court crowd roaring their appreciation.
Johanna Konta (Reuters)
Konta, famously controlled on court, did not get carried away with the success, however, and seemed equally calm when she lost five games in a row en route to Garcia taking the second set. Her coach Wim Fissette has suggested she might try breaking out of her on-court "neutral zone" in a bid to take the next step in her career. But the 26-year-old Konta seemed content to stay in her bubble and showed almost no reaction to success or failure or the crowd's attempts to lift her. She and Garcia play with a similar style, serving solidly and often dropping to one knee to get as low as possible for their deep ground strokes, and there was little to differentiate them in the final set.
Serve dominated to such an extent that the first break point did not arrive until the 10th game, but when it did, Konta took full advantage as Garcia netted. "It was such a tough match to play, she is in impressive form, it's hard to get any rhythm when she's serving so well and gets her first strike in," Konta said. "I was happy that I was able to get enough returns in that final game. "When I was a little girl, and even now, I dreamt of being in these battles and on the big stages." Durie, who lost to Hanna Mandlikova in her 1984 quarter-final, tweeted her congratulations, saying: "Well done @JoKonta91 fab match & welcome to the Last 8 Club."
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 "Russia’s Svetlana Kuznetsova celebrates winning the fourth round match Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska")
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